San Ysidro crossing to open Ready Lane for data-chip card users

Border crossers using travel documents with embedded identification chips will have access to a new "Ready Lane" at the San Ysidro Port of Entry starting Dec. 20.

The San Ysidro Ready lane follows the successful launch of an identical lane last may at the busy Otay Mesa crossing.

The documents acceptable in these lanes include the U.S. Passport Card, SENTRI card, the new Legal Permanent Resident “green card” and the new Border Crossing Card.

These documents contain an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip which broadcasts data picked up by remote scanners at the crossing.

The new Ready Lane at San Ysidro will operate 24 hours a day, beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Ready Lane travelers will experience a shorter wait time when crossing into the United States -- but not as short as pre-approved, low-risk drivers using the SENTRI lanes, according to Customs and Border Patrol officials.

About 30 percent of the traffic at the San Ysidro uses a dedicated SENTRI lane, according to officials.

“RFID-enabled cards allow our officers to screen travelers faster,” according to Chris Maston, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego, in a prepared statement. “By having a lane designated just for travelers with these cards, we can reduce the time everyone spends waiting to enter the country.”

While all travelers using the SENTRI lanes must have

SENTRI cards those using Ready lanes can carry any mix of approved RFID cards, according to CBP.